U.S. Pat. application No. 438,593 filed Nov. 17, 1989, the content whereof is incorporated herein by reference, describes an elastomeric laminate comprising an elastomeric layer and at least one skin layer coextruded on one side of the elastomeric layer. An elongate strip of one embodiment of the elastomeric laminate (called a first embodiment herein) can be stretched across its width to up to 13 times its original width (and is typically stretched across its width in the range of 4 to 6 times its original width) at room temperature whereupon after the heat caused by such stretching is removed from the strip and tension on the strip is released, stresses in the skin layer of the elastomeric laminate will cause it to remain stretched until it is heated. After such heating the stresses induced by stretching in the skin layer of the elastomeric laminate will be relieved and the elastomeric laminate will shrink significantly and will subsequently be resiliently stretchable in (and only in) the direction it was stretched so that the elastomeric laminate can then serve as a resiliently elastic strip. An elongate strip of another embodiment of the elastomeric laminate (called a second embodiment herein) can be stretched across its width (typically in the range of 4 to 6 times its original width) at room temperature whereupon after the heat caused by such stretching is removed from the strip and tension on the strip is released, the elastomeric laminate will shrink significantly at room temperature and will subsequently be resiliently stretchable in (and only in) the direction it was stretched so that the elastomeric laminate can then also serve as a resiliently elastic strip. This second embodiment of the elastomeric laminate will remain stretched if cooled to a temperature significantly below room temperature (e.g., 0 degrees Fahrenheit) after widthwise stretching and before tension on the strip is released, and will subsequently shrink significantly at room temperature and attain its resiliently stretchable condition after again warming to room temperature.
While the elastomeric laminates described above are useful as elastic strips for many purposes, particularly including providing elastic strips in the waste bands of disposable garments or diapers, most existing production equipment is not suitable for applying the elastomeric laminates either because it does not include mechanisms that can stretch the strip material enough (i.e , stretching of the material in the range of 3 to 13 times its original width may be needed), or does not include mechanisms that can stretch the elastomeric laminate across its width, or does not include mechanisms that can remove heat caused by stretching the elastomeric laminate from the laminate.